As if the decision to move your loved one to assisted living wasn’t hard enough emotionally, how do you know what to look for in choosing the best place? There was likely a need that prompted you to consider assisted living. A health scare? Safety concerns? But it’s also important to look beyond that. To find the best fit for the long term, you should look at the big picture and consider all your loved one’s needs and wants. Here’s how.
What’s Working and What’s Not at Home
First, the family (and your loved one if possible) should do an honest assessment of where things stand now in these key areas at home.
| It’s Working | Not Working | Can/Should the Family Manage? | Should We Get Outside Help? | |
| Meals/Nutrition | ||||
| Driving | ||||
| Socialization | ||||
| Personal Care | ||||
| Medication Management | ||||
| Housekeeping/Laundry | ||||
| Home Maintenance | ||||
| Managing Finances | ||||
| Safety |
What Do you Want from Assisted Living?
Now you should begin thinking about what would be nice to have as well as what your family and/or your loved one would consider must-haves in assisted living. Meals, housekeeping, transportation and activities are typically standard offerings, but consider these additional options to get you started.
| Must Have | Nice To Have | Not Sure/No | |
| Residence | |||
| High-rise building | |||
| Private accommodations | |||
| Personal laundry services | |||
| Full kitchen | |||
| Homelike Feel | |||
| Other: | |||
| Lifestyle | |||
| Plenty of Neighbors | |||
| Multiple dining venues | |||
| Outdoor spaces/walking paths | |||
| Events and outings | |||
| Access to spiritual programs | |||
| Enrichment opportunities | |||
| Pet friendly | |||
| Wi-Fi | |||
| Other: | |||
| Care/Wellness | |||
| 24-hour onsite care | |||
| Onsite medical | |||
| Memory care program | |||
| Special diets | |||
| Fitness Center/Classes | |||
| Low caregiver to resident ratio | |||
| Other: | |||
| Safety/Security | |||
| Fall Alert Technology | |||
| Keypad Entry/Exit | |||
| Emergency Preparedness Plan | |||
| Other: |
Will a Large Assisted Living Community Work?
Now that you have a better understanding of your loved one’s needs and wants you can start to narrow your choices. Traditional assisted living communities are often on a large campus with potentially hundreds of residents. They offer a range of amenities and activities often across multiple buildings throughout the campus. While it may seem overwhelming and institutional to some, others enjoy the crowd. However, if your loved one thrives in a smaller setting, don’t worry, there is an alternative.
Consider Boutique Senior Living for Assisted Living
Boutique senior living provides residential care in a single-family home. Our homes are specially crafted for assisted living with 16 residents at most and a nearly unheard of 1 to 5 caregiver to resident ratio. We believe it blends the best of both worlds – the comfort of home with the quality care and amenities of large assisted living – which makes for a much easier transition.
Here your loved one will have the personalized attention, active lifestyle and amenities they deserve. All in a home environment that feels comfortable and familiar from the décor to the large yard to family-style meals on one of our signature homemade farm tables. Even the charming, rural neighborhood location will likely feel similar to where your loved one lives now.
Your loved one won’t lack amenities at all as we also offer laundry and cleaning services, complimentary Wi-Fi, transportation and safety features such as fall alert pendants, state-of-the-art video monitoring and keypad entry/exit access. Plus, our activity programs include exercises, socialization, cognitive stimulation and immersive activities as well as outings and live entertainment.
For more information on boutique senior living at Shepherd Premier, schedule a virtual tour today or call (224) 333-6247 to speak to a team member.
